Two teams from Pretoria and two from Johannesburg will battle for the last two berths in the semifinal of the R1-million BP Top 8 competition this weekend. The two quarterfinal games will be played in Pretoria to determine who will be joining Orlando Pirates and league champ-ions Santos in the semifinals.
Supersport United face Wits on Saturday at Caledonian stadium. United have reinforced their squad with the likes of the skilful and creative under-20 international Thando Mngomeni. In Seuntjie Motlhajwa they have a young man who can supply crosses from any flank and who takes on defenders at will. Peter Khoabane is an excellent defensive midfielder who also does well in defence.
Wits should be wary of striker Patrick Mayo, given that keeper Wayne Roberts is often erratic. The Students have lost two of their lethal forwards. Josta Dladla now plays for AFGAarhus in Denmark and Alois Bunjira is now with Sundowns. Defence has always been Wits’s strength and with versatile players like Tony Coyle, United can be kept at bay.
Both sides have good young coaches. Pitso Mosimane, United’s coach, took his team to second spot on the log last season. Wits’s management has faith in Roger de Sa and he has rewarded his employers. The team plays tactically and the players are far more technically aware in reading the game. These skills have begun to torment the opposition.
A day later and a few kilometres away, Loftus will host the clash between Sundowns and Jomo Cosmos, which can be expected to be a tough physical encounter. Downs have beefed up their squad with two brilliant forwards, Bunjira and Ishmael Maluleke, the Premier Soccer League’s leading goalscorer last season when he was with Manning Rangers.
Since last season Ezenkosi have lost their midfield general Macbeth Sibaya to Danish side Bronby, hard-tackling midfielder Thabang Molefe to Norway’s Rosenborg and burly forward Nkosinathi Nhleko to the Norwegian side Brann. But Hilton Jordaan, Andrew Rabutla, Dikgang Mabalane, Bamuza Sono, Essau Kanyenda, Nuro Tualibudine and Benjamin Mwaruwari are the type of players who could still upset Downs.
The Brazilians should be expected to display the tactical proficiency of their new coach Viktor Bondarenko.
No team would like to leave with the R175 000 consolation prize for the losing quarterfinalists, which means entertaining soccer can be expected this weekend in the capital.